At midday today the Holy Father Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

The following are the Pope’s words of introduction to the Marian prayer:

Before the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!

On this feast in which we celebrate God: the mystery of the one God. And this God is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three persons, but God is one! The Father is God; the Son is God; the Spirit is God. But they are not three gods: it is one God in three Persons. It is a mystery that Jesus Christ revealed to us: the Holy Trinity. Today we stop to celebrate this mystery, because the Persons are not adjectives of God, no. They are real, diverse, different Persons; they are not – as that philosopher used to say – ‘emanations of God’, no, no! They are Persons. There is the Father to whom I pray with the Our Father; there is the Son, who gave me redemption, justification; there is the Holy Spirit who abides in us and inhabits the Church. And this speaks to our heart because we find it encompassed in that expression of Saint John which summarizes all of Revelation: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8, 16). The Father is love; the Son is love; the Holy Spirit is love. And inasmuch as he is love, God, while being one alone, is not solitude but communion, among  the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Because love is essentially a gift of self, and in its original and infinite reality it is the Father who gives himself by generating his Son, who in turn gives himself to the Father, and their mutual love is the Holy Spirit, the bond of their unity. It is not easy to understand, but we can live this mystery, all of us, we can live a great deal.

This mystery of the Trinity was revealed to us by Jesus himself. He showed us the face of God as merciful Father; he presented Himself, true man, as the Son of God and Word of the Father, the Saviour who gives his life for us; and he spoke of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Spirit of Truth, Paraclete Spirit – we spoke last Sunday about this word, ‘Paraclete’ – meaning Consoler and Advocate. And when Jesus appeared to the Apostles after the Resurrection, Jesus invited them to evangelize “all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).

Today’s celebration, therefore, makes us contemplate this marvelous mystery of love and of light from which we come and toward which our earthly journey is guided.

In the message of the Gospel and in every form of the Christian mission, one cannot overlook this unity to which  Jesus calls, among us, following the unity of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: one cannot overlook this unity. The beauty of the Gospel asks to be lived – unity – and proven in the harmony among us, who are so diverse! And this unity I dare say is essential to Christians: it is not an attitude, a manner of speaking, no; it is essential, because it is the unity that is born from love, from the mercy of God, from the justification of Jesus Christ and from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Mary Most Holy, in her simplicity and humility, reflects the Beauty of the Triune God, because she fully welcomed Jesus into her life. May she sustain our faith; may she make us worshipers of God and servants of our brothers and sisters.

After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters! Yesterday in Astorga, Spain,  María Pilar Gullón Yturriaga, Octavia Iglesias Blanco and Olga Pérez-Monteserín Núñez were beatified. These three courageous lay women, in imitation of the Good Samaritan, were dedicated to taking care of those wounded in war, without abandoning them at the moment of danger; they took risks, and they were killed in hatred of their faith. Let us praise the Lord for their Gospel witness. A round of applause for the new Blesseds.

This coming 1 July I will meet in the Vatican with the principal leaders of the Christian communities present in Lebanon, for a day of reflection on the country’s troubling situation and to pray together for the gift of peace and stability.

I entrust this intention to the intercession of the Mother of God, deeply venerated at the Shrine of Harissa, and from this moment on I ask you to accompany the preparation for this event with supportive prayer, invoking for that beloved country a more peaceful future.

Today World Multiple Sclerosis Day is being celebrated and, in Italy, National Relief Day. I express gratitude for these initiatives; let us remember that closeness “is a precious balm that provides support and consolation to the sick in their suffering” (Message for World Day of the Sick 2021).

This morning I received a small group of faithful who brought me the translation of the entire Bible in their dialect. One man did it: eight years of work! Written, there are eight volumes, entirely in dialect. And he, who was present, told me that he read, prayed and translated. I would like to express my thanks for this gesture and also once again to tell you to read the Word of God, so as to find therein the strength of our life. And also – with this I repeat myself – to always to carry with you the New Testament, a pocket-sized Gospel: in your purse, in your pocket, to be able to read it at any time of day. This way we will find Jesus in Sacred Scripture. Let us learn from the example of this man who worked for eight years to understand this. And he told me: “I did so praying”.

I offer a heartfelt greeting to all of you, those from Rome, from Italy and other countries. I see there is Canada, Colombia…. We have to pray for Colombia!

And there is also Poland, and here other countries…. I greet you all! In particular the confirmands of the parish of the Holy Roman Protomartyrs. I greet the Polish pilgrims and those participating in the great pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine  of Piekary Śląskie. And as usual I greet the young people of the Immacolata.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arivederci!